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Japanese food on the tip of the world’s tongue

July 31, 2012

27,000 travellers from around the world voted Japanese as 3rd best cuisine when on holiday

Japanese food could one day rule the world after being voted global travellers third favourite culinary delight, a new worldwide food survey from Hotels.com reveals. The survey, which questioned more than 27,000 travellers, shows there is now tough competition for more traditional favourites such as Italian and French cuisine from food from the Far East.

Although international travellers do still favour Italian (32%) and French (24%) cuisine, with them taking first and second spot in the rankings, the dishes from the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ Japan are gaining in popularity with more cosmopolitan palates. Eighteen percent of all people surveyed favoured Sushi, Tempura, Ramen and Japanese Soba, particularly when it comes to fine dining.
“Japanese food is seen as great example of healthy eating and there are a variety of Japanese restaurants in every multicultural capital,” said Alison Couper from Hotels.com. “I’m a big fan of Japanese and not surprised at its elevated ranking. The fact that it beat more traditional holiday dishes such as Tapas and Burritos is testament to the world class reputation of Japanese chefs.”
Several other Asian countries appear in the Top Ten list, including China (13%), Thailand (8%), Taiwan and India (5%). The popularity of Paella and Tapas could have contributed to Spain clinching fifth place (11%) on the list, while those who love Burger and Fries have helped the USA secure sixth place (10%) in the table.
The world’s best food when on holiday

Position

Country

Votes in %

1

Italy

32%

2

France

24%

3

Japan

18%

4

China

13%

5

Spain

11%

6

USA

10%

7

Mexico

8%

8

Thailand

8%

9

Taiwan

5%

10

India

5%

According to Japanese locals there is much more on the menu than just Sushi and these traditional cuisines are creeping up the popularity scales with the global traveller:

Position

Dish

Description

Japanese recommendations in %

1

Sushi

Cooked vinegared rice (shari) combined with other ingredients (neta) such as seafood

74%

2

Tempura

Dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried

57%

3

Ramen

Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or (occasionally) fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings

33%

4

Japanese soba

A type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour

31%

5

Okonomiyaki

Savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients, such as flour, eggs, cabbage, pork, shrimp or seafood

27%

6

Shabu Shabu

Variant of hot pot with thinly sliced meat and vegetables and usually served with dipping sauces

24%

7

Japanese Curry

The most popular dishes in Japan, curry rice served with vegetables or meat

14%

8

Yakiniku

Grilled meat dish, derived from Korean roots

9%

9

Natto

Fermented soybeans with Bacillus Subtilis, which is very popular as breakfast